The Sound Threads of Fate
by Lazlo Pizazzlo
Summary: Amidst the complication of war, Shadow must choose his allies wisely, learn to love, and trust the one he thought he never would be able to. But with his team vanished, Fate has the upper hand in this battle. ::Discontinued::
1. The Day that Hope Died

_Here it is! Finally! Oh, glorious day...er, night-the remake is finally here! For any of you who have read this story before a while back, I must say, this might throw you around a little bit if you try to relate anything to the first version. Therefore, please forget everything from the first version. If you don't know what I'm talking about, good. You don't want to. XD_

_My strong suggestions before reading this story: 1. Play "Shadow the Hedgehog" and make sure you understand it. For a sequel to the game, that might help. XD 2. Read "A Month to Love"! It is the foundation for this story and many more to come! 3. Be prepared for some ShadAmy. It's not totally focused on them but it's enough to be aware of. :D They have their moments!_

_Updates on this will be slower than usual becasue **this story is not finished. **I'm going to aim to be two chapters ahead of the posting chapter so bleh, I got work to do. And the chapter titles may look familiar-they're all titles of the stories in the ShtH game library, woot! This one happens to be #155. XD_

_PLEASE, PLEASE review but don't be too harsh on me; I have a weak constitution. ;D Otherwise, read, enjoy, and have a great time! I don't own SEGA one bit!_

_-Laz_

* * *

"_My lord, we have little time to spare…_"

A short creature gazed up at a screen in a dimly lit room, nearly shaking in fear. The cause of his fear was debatable; though the situation was indeed dire and time was not on his side, his master, the one he spoke to, was one of the more major threats to him. The creature was on-edge after picking up odd frequencies from a nearby planet called Earth, and he, feeling noble that day, decided to confront his master about it. There was both a good side and a bad side to his confrontation; fortunately, his master knew full well of what was occurring on Earth, and agreed without hesitation that something had to be done. It made the minion ecstatic; after all, his master was a hard one to convince, especially from a lower power. Unfortunately for him, however, the current situation did not reflect the said decision to act quickly. His leader simply stood near the door to the room, silent, as if there was nothing happening while the creature scurried frantically around the monitor screen. He had reminded his ruler kindly time and time again that something needed to happen fast. The answers, however, did not come. It worried the minion desperately.

"_Ah…um…my lord…?"_ he persisted again quietly. There was no response from the silhouetted figure near the door; it appeared that he was in focus of something, almost as if he were meditating.

The small creature shifted awkwardly. Dare he prompt him again? His master always remained in his own ways, never to be distracted from his tightly woven master plan, but this of course led to his followers to a lot of unwanted tension. He had always been a cunning leader, quick to make the right decisions, as if he knew what they were to begin with. However, over the past few months, the followers had grown timid of their ruler's priorities. He had been quieter lately, which could have meant anything, considering how inward he always seemed; he never showed emotion before, but somehow his emotionless, monotone actions and expressions posed concern in his minions.

He decided to try again. _"My lord, like I said, we have –"_

"_Enough. I'm tired of hearing your constant nagging; we have enough time._" The ruler spoke in a different language than English, as did the rest of his followers, but simply the way his voice accented each syllable made a sentence sound like an eloquent poem. It was, nonetheless, said with a threatening tone that seemed to seep with harsh, venomous sound.

"_A-are you sure? I mean, because, down on Earth…those waves…and not to mention what's at stake; it's your –"_

"_Silence." _the figure hissed, its voice full of sudden rage, "_I am full aware of what's at stake. You need not remind me of it; if I needed a reminder as to what I am going after, I would have pried the answers out of your pathetic little head, lest you stammer even the slightest._ _Is that clear?" _

It was absolutely transparent that he was angry, yes. The minion nodded quickly without a pause; he had struck a nerve, a sore spot, if you will, and saying anything more would have resulted in a painful death. The shaded figure heaved an angry sigh as he collected himself. Nothing more was said as the creature stared up at the monitor, staring at the numbers and symbols that appeared on the screen every few moments. He clenched his fists around the keyboard; it was understood that he was not to say anything more, but as the numbers grew higher, he found it to be growingly difficult to fight back the urge to throw out commands himself.

* * *

Down on Earth, two hedgehogs sat in the soft emerald grass underneath a tree as a breeze brushed through their quills gently. The moving air swept through the green leaves, starting a ominous, echoing choir of leaves brushing up on one another. It soothed the hedgehogs' ears, letting them ease into their carefree moments. One was a rose-colored female that retained a humble and shy smile through the duration of the time, and the other was a black-toned male that looked as if he were sleeping against the tree. Though they kept a good distance from one another there, they shared a friendship that started out faint and grew hundreds of times over the course of a mere month. The female admired the male and whether he noticed her affection or not, she remained stubborn yet cautious in her ways.

The pink hedgehog – Amy Rose was her name – let a small lavender flower sit in her loose grip. Her emerald eyes stared at the smooth petals, examining each and every bump and tear on them. Despite its beauty, she noticed, the flower had its flaws. But somehow it stood a chance and was chosen specifically by her out of all the other flowers she found. It much like herself, she thought; Amy knew she had countless flaws with herself, both physically and emotionally, but she felt she could be picked by the hedgehog that sit nearby. She glanced up at the black hedgehog in wonder. He was known as Shadow, and he lived up to his name as an ebony, silent figure that barely spoke a word or even announced his existence. His red eyes were closed and his black body was cast in a lazy, carefree position with only a gloved hand serving as a resting place for his face. Stripes of red followed his pointed quills and down his legs and arms, leading her eyes up and down his torso, finally landing on the white tuft of fur on his chest. He was as handsome as a god – carved like one, too. He was ageless and immortal, as if he was a true piece of fine art that Amy thought of him to be. The only thing she was worried about was whether or not he held the same romantic feelings for her.

She had to consider what was on his mind as well; Shadow had been slightly more distant to both Amy and the rest of her friends within the past week. It worried her, but when the time came to ask him what was causing his distance, he avoided talking about it as much as he could. It pained her. Amy's only guess was that it had to do with his late biological father, Black Doom, whom Shadow had slain several months prior. Black Doom was the one that gave Shadow his immortality and various other powers, and in fact, the black hedgehog's own life was because of him. What caused Black Doom's death was the fact that he made himself Shadow's enemy in attempts to conquer Earth and eliminate the human race. At the time, it seemed like an undying, infinite battle for the humans against the Black Arms, and Shadow, having amnesia and seeking answers to his past at the time, was caught in the middle. Back and forth he had gone; from the humans to the Black Arms he fought and served. Finally in possession of seven gems of power, the Chaos Emeralds, he confronted Black Doom and initiated in a battle that decided it all. The alien leader fell that day, and the Earth's skies turned blue in relief and happiness once more. But even after the victorious results, being of the very alien race that tried to destroy his home, as well as the people he vowed to protect, was shameful to Shadow. Even he could not bring himself to discuss it with Amy, which was very unlike him.

The fact of the matter was, Amy was clueless as to what Shadow was thinking, nor why he was thinking at all. She attempted to teach him that living a life of happiness and living in the moment was everything that life was about, but it seemed he was learning passively. He needed constant dedication, and Amy thought of herself a very qualifying person to dedicate him at all times.

Amy looked back down at the flower. The moment was perfect, she thought. There was no one around to interrupt or mess a conversation up, and if she carefully just nudged Shadow, Amy could make an attempt at confessing her love for him. But as she shifted to move over closer to Shadow, her heart sank like an anchor and kept her down. Fear got the best of her once again. Disappointed with herself, she sighed. Resorting to the common, old wives' tale ways, she plucked a petal from the flower, ignoring the screams she imagined the poor plant would release in doing so. As her fingers let the petal fly in the breeze, the voice in her head chanted words that made her heart stutter.

_He loves me. _

Another petal was yanked off the flower and tossed behind her.

_He loves me not. _

A sudden nausea struck her stomach, causing her cheeks to burn and hands to shake. One word was all it took to ruin her hope, and she certainly hated the idea of Shadow avoiding her. With her stomach still flipping, she pulled another satiny petal off.

_He loves me…_

Unfortunately for her, the petal was caught in the breeze and stopped in its tracks against Shadow's black and red quills. It danced across them, tickling him lightly, and suddenly his crimson eyes made an appearance. They traveled over to Amy as one of his hands brushed the petal off of him. She swallowed nervously, her face flushing. He was at full attention of her now.

"Amy, what are you doing?" he asked, nearly demanding in an irritated voice.

Despite the tone, Amy melted at his low and warm voice, just as she always had. Shadow had a way with words; even just a simple "hello" made her heart sing with joy. Her hands loosened, erupting with tremors and weakness. The flower was overtaken by the breeze, dragged away from her hands and carried along the invisible lines of the wind. Upon this, Amy realized her hands were empty; she stood and reached out for it even when it was feet away from where she was standing. She frowned, folding her hands and staring sadly after it.

"Nothing…" she trailed off. Amy wished that she had a longer time with the flower; that was only three petals that she cast away. She scanned her memory and tried to count how many petals there were on the flower. An odd number meant his feelings were reflected; but an even one meant he wasn't interested. Was it unethical for her to guess it was an even number? Would the powers of love curse her forever if she determined something that was possibly false?

She watched Shadow as he rested his head against the tree once more. His eyes fell closed, and the simple, effortless gesture took her breath away. Perhaps she didn't need an old wives' tale to determine if he liked her or not. It was her idea to bring him along on such a lovely day; and he accepted without hesitation out of their newfound friendship. She thought that she was the one that Shadow conversed with the most; it warmed her heart to think that, yes, but she wanted something more. Amy wanted Shadow's love; she knew he had it in him, but for who was a mystery she wanted to solve.

In a blinding instant, her stomach lurched. Amy brought her hands up to her mouth in reflex in fear of vomiting; her limbs ached as well. In such a short time, she thought, this had to be something abnormal. Perhaps she was coming down with some sort of flu, but if she was, wouldn't she have felt symptoms earlier? Amy grew more and more confused by the second, and with the confusion came a fast blur of a whirl. Her head felt lighter than air, and it was spinning at a sickening rate.

"Are you alright?" Shadow asked, a little sweeter than last time. He sounded like she was going crazy, but Amy's head was spinning so violently, she could barely focus on the words he spoke. Her mind began chanting a plea not to get sick over and over again like a broken record. She finally conjured up enough courage to say something after her throat ceased to tighten for a brief moment.

"Shadow, can…we go home?" Amy put a hand to her head and one to her stomach. "I really don't feel so good…"

This got Shadow's attention. He sat up straighter, no longer needing the tree's support. Amy snapped her eyes shut, keeping her mouth in a fine line.

"Are you sick?" his tone was now full of deep concern. Instinctively, Amy nodded. Shadow did not hesitate in standing and rushing to her side, snatching her wrist up to feel for a pulse. Her heart raced, not only because of the mysterious illness, but because of Shadow's short distance from her face.

"Here, let's go," Shadow said. As Amy reached up with a heavy hand to his shoulder, he put his on her waist. "Can you walk alright or do you need me to carry you?"

She lazily shook her head, letting her head lean against the alien hybrid's shoulder. "I…I think I can walk…"

Amy was suddenly not interested in any romantic feelings or contact with the black hedgehog; certainly an odd concept in her mind, but her priority was to make it home without losing her lunch. She quickly ran through any upsetting food she might have eaten, and came up with nothing. Maybe it was an illness after all, and she didn't notice it until now…

Upon the second step the pair of hedgehogs took, her vision blurred, and her head throbbed as it spun violently once again. This time, when she closed her eyes, it took all the strength and effort she had to simply inhale a small amount of air. She feared for her very life.

"Oh – agh! Sh-Shadow…!" Amy stammered out in an airy, breathy whisper. Shadow's head turned to her, suddenly feeling a tremendous weight upon his shoulder. He gasped silently as he saw Amy collapse onto the green grass. Her eyes were shut and her mouth hung open slightly, begging for air. He let her slip from his arms, but he caught her swiftly as he knelt down next to her. He felt her cheeks, her forehead, and much to his dismay, they were both cold. Her pulse was faint.

"Amy!" Shadow exclaimed, glancing around him to see if there was any help available. There was not a soul around.

Just as he returned his gaze to the unconscious pink hedgehog, he was hit with a wave of nausea that made him cringe. It was unfamiliar and foreign to him, causing him a strange pain that pulsed through his veins with every heartbeat. Shadow clenched his fists around the fine blades of grass, trying to release the pain and sickness. His head throbbed and began to spin in a blurry mess that made his throat tighten. He brought a hand up to his mouth, uncertain of what was to happen.

Movement suddenly caught his eye to the far right of him. With his eyes squinted out of sickness and agony, Shadow noticed the sky growing an eerie black, darker than any night sky he had ever seen in his life. Lightning danced over the city of Westopolis, which was miles away from where he and Amy were. He guessed some sort of storm was brewing, then his eyes caught a glimpse of a black blur walking towards them. The thing was still very far away, but with the superior vision he was granted, Shadow could only guess that the figure was making its way toward them. He was completely confused, and for a moment he thought he was hallucinating.

After three dreadful minutes of resisting whatever was coming over him, his body began to weaken. Shadow muttered Amy's name, trying to snap out of his trance, but it was of no avail. Subconsciously, he murmured words that were something other than English, startling himself as his world darkened. As he let himself slip into submission, Shadow fell to his right, his hand brushing up against Amy's ever-so slightly.

* * *

"_It's starting, my lord! The waves are growing stronger; any more and the hedgehog will –" _the follower stuttered out, but his mouth soon shut tightly. His topaz eyes beheld his master whirl around and fall to the ground, crossing his legs and letting his eyes fall. Being disciplined carefully to accommodate his master's spontaneous acts was one of the many things the creature was trained for, and he was to respond with immediate silence if something as this were to happen.

With hands glowing dimly, the black silhouette brought his hands up above his knees and concentrated intensely. The room grew eerily silent as the minion watched in anxiety.

"_He will not die yet, I assure you. I shall find him before he has any time to wander close to his downfall._" There was a small pause before the shadow continued. "_Dismissed." _

The minion scurried out of the room quickly without question, leaving the figure alone on the floor. He sighed deeply, returning to his deep concentration as he began to block out all tiny fractions of noise around him. As he found the silent tranquility he sought for, he began to listen for a heartbeat. Though the first moments remained silent, he was patient and persistent with his search. Finally, his ears twitched as he heard distant thumping, and he gained a rush of feelings as he felt cold, bitter blood stream through the veins of his target.

"There you are." He smirked, and in a blink of an eye, he clenched a fist.


	2. The Nightmare's Insulation

_Gah! I'm here, I'm here! Sorry for the wait! The suspense was killer, I know. ;)_

_This one is a little short, but we get a third character revealed! :D This is where it'd be a little handy to have read "A Month to Love" beforehand, but if you haven't, that's okay. No biggie! _

_I hope you guys are enjoying it so far! Here's sequence number 15: The Nightmare's Insulation!_

_-Laz_

* * *

Coldness was all that Shadow felt. It was agonizing cold, making him shiver internally; for some reason he had no control of his body. It was as if he was trapped in ice, he imagined, and he cringed at the thought of being caught in suspended animation again. Shadow had been preserved three times now; once when he was first created by Gerald Robotnik, once when the military captured him, and one when Gerald's grandson, Dr. Eggman, found him unconscious after a battle. It was, by now, a natural hatred for anything that was made to keep him still for long periods of time. It was a hatred or even a degrading fear of them.

He quickly dismissed the possibility of being in suspended animation. No one had motivation to do that to him; besides, Shadow was thinking free thoughts. Being sealed in a capsule resulted in, bluntly, feelings of death itself. You never dreamed, you never thought; you were stuck in a deep, haunting sleep.

What were the other options then? Death? Shadow couldn't open his eyes. He didn't know if he was in heaven or hell, much less what they felt like to begin with. Some legends said that portions of hell were completely covered in ice – perhaps that was where he was…

No, he scolded in his head. He was over-thinking the situation way too much. Shadow assured himself that he was not in heaven, he was not in hell, and he was not in a capsule that constricted his movements. It left him mystified, though; Shadow wanted, no, needed, to know what was going on. He scanned his memories of before he passed out. The tempest over Westoplis was the only thing ringing any bells in his head; that and the strange silhouette. Perhaps that black thing caught them…

_Them. _

Shadow suddenly remembered Amy and her collapse. He panicked; was she hurt? Was she with him? All his questions would be answered if he could just open his eyes and take in his surroundings, but it took a breathtaking amount of energy to do just that. His soul struggled to grab onto his body and move it again, to get himself up and going, but it felt like something was holding him down.

"Shadow…"

A chilling, haunting voice caught him off guard. It was strong and true, certainly not something his mind could make up, but Shadow was so focused on trying to open his godforsaken eyes that he couldn't even tell, nor remember, if it was a male or a female speaking. Obviously it posed familiarity to Shadow, though. Whether or not the black hedgehog could recognize it was a different story.

But strangely enough, the voice did the trick. His eyes sprang open, his chest moving up and down violently, grabbing every particle of oxygen his lungs could find. For a moment, he remained frozen, but soon after his head throbbed, Shadow was able to sit up. He put a hand to his aching head, noticing an ominous silence in whatever space he was in. Upon distant and broad examination, the space held a red, purple, and black color palette and the ground was a dusty rose color. It was cool, but not the same freezing temperature Shadow had felt minutes ago; overall, Shadow admitted, wherever he was, it was both homey and threatening at the same time. He didn't quite recognize it, yet something deep inside of him longed to stray and get a closer look.

Remembering Amy, he whirled his head this way and that in desperation to find the pink hedgehog. Just as he felt a pang of failure, Shadow's ears twitched as he heard a voiceless moan directly to his right. He stared down at it, gasping. It was a pink hedgehog with hands covering her red-dressed torso, her matching boots covering her legs facing inward at each other; it was indeed Amy. His chest felt free again; she seemed safe now that she was with him.

Yet her eyes would not open.

The worries hit Shadow once more. He put his hands on her limp shoulders, shaking them gently.

"Amy? Amy, can you hear me? It's Shadow; you need to wake up. We need to find out where we are and what's going on." He spoke clearly and somewhat loudly in attempts to catch Amy's attention and wake her up all the way. His efforts did not prevail. Shadow tried again, rephrasing the words but managing to maintain a calm, assertive tone.

Unbeknownst to Shadow, muffled footsteps echoed throughout the large area from behind him. It was a cloaked figure, masked in the shadows cast by the large boulders and intrusions in the walls, but his aged yet piercing red eyes watched the black hedgehog's useless attempts at waking his friend. It was gifted with a sadistic quality that never died, and upon watching Shadow's futile attempts, amusement sparked in his soul; a smirk faded onto his face. It continued to walk towards Shadow, finally setting both his hands on Shadow's sturdy shoulders. It startled the black hedgehog, but before he could act, Shadow was cast away from the pink hedgehog. He let out a surprised yelp as he hit the ground with a thud a ways away, but Shadow promptly got to his feet. Pain did not faze the black hedgehog well.

"I see you've woken up." A haunting, smooth voice mused. Despite its warmth and calming sound, Shadow could sense maliciousness within. He didn't trust it, whatever it was.

Upon turning around, however, Shadow let his guard down in his confusion. The voice came from a hedgehog and it gave Shadow the sensation of looking into a mirror; there were only minor differences between them both. Obviously, the hedgehog opposite of Shadow was cloaked, yes, but the crimson stripes on its more pointed quills were jagged and uneven, as well as much darker than his own. From what Shadow could see, the hedgehog was a few inches taller than he was; he inferred that the hedgehog had to be slightly older than he was. Something glimmered for a brief moment on the hedgehog's chest, but Shadow couldn't make it out in the dimly lit area. He clenched his fists; whatever this person was, he certainly had some disgusting courage to cast Shadow off of Amy in such a manner.

"Who are you to speak and act like that to me?" Shadow growled, assuming a fighting stance. The hedgehog tossed his head back, gave a small laugh, and raised a brow at Shadow.

"Relax, Shadow, you are a guest, after all," the hedgehog smiled. "It would be a shame for the host to pick a fight with you."

"Host…being…?" Shadow scowled. He almost didn't want to know who this hedgehog was speaking of.

"Yours truly, of course." The hedgehog scoffed. His blood-red eyes froze Shadow in his tracks; a strange sensation to be sure, but they captured his attention in the most peculiar way. They felt like daggers piercing him in rage, but the hedgehog's facial expression only showed an emotion of amusement and taunt. It made something call out in Shadow's head, but he was too distracted with the look he was receiving to hear it.

One of Amy's legs twitched; it caught the eyes of both black hedgehogs, and a painful, soft groan made its way into the cool air. Amy was having difficulties grasping control as well, Shadow felt. He went to her side, disregarding the hedgehog's stationary position and sharp glare in his direction.

"That girl…" the hedgehog growled darkly. He shifted his weight, sending a dark scowl down at Amy, expressing utmost disapproval of her presence. "Who is she?"

Shadow chose to completely ignore the question; he already felt a strong dislike for this person, as if his hatred was previously established. Shadow, paying no heed to the hedgehog's sharp eyes, knelt by Amy, placing a hand on the side of her head. The contact, like electricity, made Amy's eyes flutter open instantly. She was in a daze, staring at the ceiling for the longest time, blinking every few seconds; it took Shadow's own voice to snap her out of it.

"Amy?" he said, his voice demanding for a response of any kind. Amy gasped, and in one swift motion, she sat up ninety degrees, panting. Her hands rubbed her shoulders as her emerald eyes darting from side to side on the ground, attempting to recover herself from the trauma she had just narrowly escaped. She finally brought her head up and, extremely confused, scanned the environment quickly. Amy smoothed her quills, her mouth forming countless words but unable to voice them all.

"Calm yourself, girl." the hedgehog hissed. Shadow's rage burned like fire in his heart, but he kept it inside of him for the time being. Amy swallowed, finally gaining her composure.

"Oh…my, God." Amy muttered in disbelief. Shadow brought himself into Amy's view, leaning a ways in front of her face. She gasped upon the sight of the black hedgehog, heaving a sigh of relief as she threw herself in his arms. "Shadow! Oh, I was so scared – it was all dark and I couldn't move at all, and it was cold, and you were gone, and –"

She stopped mid-sentence as she saw Shadow's blank stare at her. Amy contained her words, gaining the upper hand over her fear though her hands still trembled. As her silence stayed looming in the air and her big green eyes gazed at Shadow with concern and fear, the black hedgehog turned up to the one standing over them.

"What's going on?" Shadow demanded harshly. He no longer wanted to give this being a second chance. "Tell us. Now."

Confused as to who he was speaking to, Amy glanced up above them, shrieking loudly in surprise. Out of all the times she looked around, she never once saw him next to her. The cloaked hedgehog winced at the noise, but simply glared down at her. Questions began forming in her tangled mind, but the words were caught in her throat, unable to be spoken. Shadow moved slightly closer to the girl, guarding her from the stranger, but the inch distance gained was not as comforting to Amy as she would have liked to be. Just the sight of the cloaked hedgehog sent shivers down her spine, and as her knees shook, she scooted backwards into Shadow's chest. The stranger stared down at her, flashing her an all-knowing smile before turning his back on them. She gulped, uncertain of what his problem was; he was beyond scary, she thought. Amy wished she could move back even further into Shadow's protection, but being the stubborn hedgehog she knew, he stood his ground and didn't allow her to move back.

"Mm, even if I told you, you wouldn't believe me…" he trailed off. Neither Amy nor Shadow spoke; they were unsure if they would believe this person or not to begin with, but they longed to know what it was he was going to say. "How unfortunate. Do you even know where you are, Shadow? Perhaps that would lead you to a conclusion…"

Shadow scowled as the hedgehog turned back around, facing the two. His face posed impatience toward Shadow, which enraged him even more; it was as if he was expected to know exactly where he was, even if he was just as disoriented as he was at that moment.

"No, I –"

In an instant, every nerve in his body went icy cold, freezing him in his position. However, his hands and knees, the very things that touched the ground, remained at a normal temperature. To Shadow then, his hands and knees felt burning, and he quickly got to his feet before pain had a chance to slice into him. Amy turned around, reaching up for Shadow in concern, but she was promptly ignored. Shadow didn't budge at Amy's offering of assistance. Instead, he was at full attention of the cloaked hedgehog before them, and both of them knew full well what was on one another's minds.

"The Black Arms are gone. I killed them all myself." Shadow bellowed, his low voice becoming enraged. Yet to the hedgehog opposite of him, Shadow's voice wavered. It made him sneer an arrogant smile in Shadow's direction, one that sickened both the hedgehogs.

"Did you now? Every single one of them?" he challenged, stroking his pointed quills once. Shadow hesitantly nodded. "Hm, you certainly have quite some bravado. It almost sickens me, Shadow; you ought to know better than to assume."

Yet Amy blinked in disbelief. She wondered how Shadow could have possibly jumped to such an irrational conclusion, especially so quickly; if Shadow had felt something, why didn't she? Amy scanned her entire mind, both thoughts and memories alike, simply trying to understand what was happening before her. Amidst the tangled, knotted web of confusion, Amy skidded across a memory from a previous month when Shadow was contemplating staying with her and the rest of Team Sonic. Shadow had stood in the guest room, staring at a tarnished, worn-looking talisman that he had revealed to be in possession of a late alien leader.

* * *

"_Where…?" Amy stuttered. Shadow's face did not change in the moonlit darkness. He gazed at the talisman in pensive thought for moments on end until he finally spoke. _

"_Near a forest."_

"_But did you find __him__?" Amy asked with fear trembling in her voice. Shadow's head moved side to side slowly. _

* * *

Gasping, she looked the hedgehog over. Black and red quills, piercing red eyes, a tattered robe; it was all there. Suddenly the gears in her head initiated, turning and turning, gradually gaining speed. He had the appearance, the grim, intimidating tone in his voice, and at first sight of him, Amy had shook in fear, just as she had at the mere mention of his name. Amy gasped, pointing a finger at the hedgehog as she recognized the identity. In response, the hedgehog's brows rose in anticipation of her exclamation.

"Shadow, it's –" she started, stammering. Shadow, too, had made the connection quickly in his mind after feeling the coldness at the mention of his environment. With a growl, Shadow took a step backwards.

"Black Doom."


	3. The Dark Warrior's Advent

_Thanks for being patient, guys! I really appreciate it, almost as much as your reviews...XD Nah, I kid. _

_I feel like this chapter is a bit on the rough side...hopefully you understand what's happening at the end! And prepare yourself for the next chapter; it's an info-fest! XD I might have confused you with some of the chapter numbers-rather, I confused myself, so ignore everything I've told you at this point! I'm a rambling idiot! Just be patient! All your questions, including some about Black Doom's spooky powers, will be eventually answered unless I say so. Then I'll answer them with shame because I faaaail. :D _

_Otherwise, enjoy and watch the epic fight of sequence #101! _

_-Laz_

* * *

Amy gasped at the name, even when she was expecting it to be spoken. If their thinking was indeed correct, the hedgehog that stood before them was the alien leader that fell nearly a half a year ago. It stunned the pink and black hedgehogs; neither emitted a sound, nor did they move an inch.

"My, you figured that out quickly." Black Doom smirked. "I have to admit, some of your intelligence does indeed exceed my expectations for someone of your size."

For Amy, feelings of sheer terror of the alien attacked her mind. Fear had engulfed her during the Black Arms' invasion simply because of her phobia of anything different than something she would see on a daily basis, but when she first saw Black Doom, that horror was magnified ten times. He held a terrifying, menacing appearance that looked nothing like the Black Arms soldiers. He carried a dark aura that made her wonder if even just touching him would turn you into a sadistic villain such as he was. Naturally when he fell, Amy felt relief; but to see him again, just in a different body, was almost more eerie than before. She told herself it was the same malicious leader as before, only the appearance was different, yet she could not convince herself. All she saw was a slightly altered version of Shadow standing before her.

Shadow's feelings were a different story, and in fact, he could not describe what he was feeling. Waves of rage, spirals of disbelief, bolts of regret, and a dash of fear combined together and sent out a strange sensation pulsing through his body. He hated Black Doom, his biological father, with so much passion that it couldn't be described; he did before, he did then, and he always would. For him to stand before him in such a manner, looking so unfazed and unthreatened by Shadow's past dealings with him triggered a hot anger that nearly turned his cheeks a bright red. Shadow wanted Black Doom to go back to the hell he sent him to. He wanted to know why and how he came back, where they were, and most importantly, he wanted to know what Shadow was doing there opposite of him, but he decided to save the questions at a later, much less urgent time. Perhaps he would never need to ask them if he could just end Black Doom at that second.

"What are you doing back? Do you have a second death wish?" Shadow scowled grimly. Black Doom's smile vanished in a split second, his head cocking to the side as he crossed his arms.

"You still have not lost that arrogant tone, I see."

"Neither have you."

"I concur. But more on topic, I am not wishing to avenge my death, or to start another fight with you, Shadow…" he continued. Black Doom sounded submissive, which was foreign to all hedgehogs' ears. "At least, not yet; for starters, I am going to ask of you is for you to hear me out."

"Tell it to someone who cares, Black Doom," Shadow growled, lunging forward with a glowing fist. "I'm not interested in anything you have to say!"

Shadow's attack partially impacted Black Doom, sending them both backwards. Black Doom's heels grinded against the ground, kicking up dust as they came to a slow halt, where, in a split second, Black Doom tossed Shadow over to his side and threw him towards a wall. The black hedgehog recovered well in advance, stretching out his legs and sticking his feet to the wall upon contact. He sprung out, readying himself to collide with the alien leader, moving his hand in front of himself to better align with his target.

The alien leader was certainly not stupid, nor was he slow, for he saw a brief moment of opportunity in Shadow's position. With his arm out in the way it was, Shadow was begging for a counterattack; Black Doom snatched Shadow's wrist at the proper time, tossing him behind his shoulder without a care. Unfortunately, he was too arrogant, and his own wrist was clasped onto; in a whirl of colors, Black Doom found himself on his back, looking up at the ceiling of his home. He let a grunt escape before accepting the small pain he received.

Amy watched in helplessness. She knew that if she attempted to intervene in the fight or help Shadow out, it would result for disaster for more than just one person. That and her feminine instincts told her that Black Doom was indeed telling the truth; he had something valuable to say, and fighting him was not the way to prompt him to explain it. Amy felt as if she needed to ask Shadow to stop, but the amount of courage she had in her possession was small, so small that she could not even think of the words to speak. She only gazed at the brawl from a distance, hands folded at her chest in confusion and worry.

"We'll do this the hard way, then?" Black Doom scowled, fighting the dull ache scaling down his back. He lifted himself with his arms, flipped himself over, and kicked Shadow to the ground. The black hedgehog impacted on his back, sending shocks of unanticipated pain surging throughout his back. Black Doom, now on his feet, turned to face the grimacing hedgehog as he crossed his arms. "I'll have you know that sneak-attacks do not daunt me, nor do they bewilder me in any way, shape, or form. Even I as a hedgehog am just as agile as I was before."

Shadow got to his feet quickly. "I'm not trying to fool or confuse you. I don't care what you're here for, and I couldn't be less interested in anything you have to offer."

"Who said I had anything to offer?" Black Doom frowned. "If anything, I'm going to force you to help me; that's why I brought you here in the first place."

That brought the other hedgehogs to full attention. Shadow let his guard down at that instant. He was tracked down specifically by the alien leader, endangering Amy's life, no less, and all they were doing was fighting? It was pointless to even be there in the first place…or was it? On the sidelines, Amy's eyes widened; though it was not directed towards her, she felt strange knowing that Black Doom had found them on Earth. If he made the effort to locate and teleport the two to simply tell them something or recruit them for a cause, it had to be of some significant importance. Now Amy seriously needed to stop this fight. Why couldn't Shadow see past Black Doom's history and hear him out?

"You teleported us here after sending those sick feelings?"

"Those ill symptoms were not of my doing." Black Doom continued, now angered. He raised his hands in the air, and from the ground erupted streams of black light that headed straight for Shadow. "If you would listen to me, I would tell you who did that, but since you refuse, your ignorance will cause the downfall of the entire human race!"

Shadow found himself trapped as the streams of black wrapped themselves around his limbs. They felt oddly cold, numbing his wrists and ankles as they sent him flying through the air and onto the ground, sending up a cloud of dust in doing so. Shadow, both blinded by the dust cloud and by his surprise at Black Doom's outburst, stayed on the ground, letting his head fall backward.

"You've lost, little hedgehog. Do not make me harm you any further, lest I need you for future tasks." Black Doom let his hands fall to his side, glaring in Shadow's general direction. His breathing was steady, yet slightly labored in result of his outburst and the amount of energy he released.

"Shadow!" Amy yelped out, ready to run over to his side. An unknown force kept Amy in her place, much to her dismay, but she was uncertain of what she would do even if her legs would allow her to move. If Shadow didn't get up, Amy would have to fend for herself against Black Doom. Her hand touched her chin in thought; perhaps nothing had to be done. Perhaps she was forgotten about.

Unfortunately for Amy, her theory could not have been more wrong; Black Doom's eyes locked onto Amy, knowing full well of her presence. She felt the piercing eyes on her head, and she turned around, staring innocently and fearfully back up at the alien leader. He scowled at her, closing his eyes for a brief moment, finally leaping toward her with an outstretched hand. Amy cried out, whirling around in attempts to escape, but before she could take two steps, the back of her dress was clenched tightly. Her body was lurched backwards, sending Amy's head into a whirl.

"I suppose I should do something with you as well." Black Doom trailed off, examining her inch by inch. Suddenly Amy's vision was rotated to behind her; her eyes now beheld Black Doom's unimpressed expression, triggering a sense of familiarity. He looked so much like Shadow; with this appearance, it seemed undoubtedly true that Shadow had Black Doom's blood and genetics.

The near-identical image of Shadow did not comfort her one bit, however. She soon let out a shrill yelp that caused Black Doom to snap his eyes shut and move his head away from the girl. With his keen sense of hearing, he could hear every single decibel of noise Amy was making, and it shot pain in his ears and head. Enraged, the alien leader moved the pink hedgehog's face closer to his own, narrowing his eyes with all the hatred he could conjure up. Amy trembled in horror.

"You are wearing my patience, girl. I was considering keeping you alive, but perhaps in doing so, you would hurt both my sons and I in great measures." Black Doom growled darkly. "So perhaps I shall just kill you to be rid of my worries. After all, females such as yourself serve no purpose but to waste space and energy."

Amy blinked, still filled with indescribable terror of the alien leader. She longed to call Shadow's name, but her voice was stuck in her throat. The dark hedgehog, however, could feel the horror lingering about Amy, and though he felt a surge of splendor out of her pain, he showed only a mere fraction of his delight by flashing a smirk. Her eyes widened.

"Don't be afraid, though," he continued lowly, "I shall be sure to make your death quick and without as much pain as –"

For a millisecond, Black Doom's eyes widened, and he let out a light gasp, barely audible to Amy's ears. Though she did not object to the alien's halt in his speech, the pink hedgehog still wondered what it was that was occurring. Her questions were soon answered, for behind her, a bolt of green light cut through the air like a knife, headed directly for the two. Before Amy had the chance to scream, Black Doom swiftly stepped to the side, mindful of his footing as well as the girl he was holding with one hand. He felt a strange sensation of value toward her, perhaps because of his desire to watch the life drain from her eyes because of him and him alone; therefore, he did not wish to sacrifice her to the attack. Black Doom had to ponder on the reasoning behind his emotions, for the emerald light shattered against the wall behind him, destroying a decent fraction of the section of the comet. He grimaced, glaring in the direction of Shadow. There the black hybrid stood panting heavily with light scuffs scattered upon his skin and fur.

"You know, Shadow, it is common courtesy to be mindful of a rebuilt home, especially after all the damage you made to it in the first place." Black Doom growled. Shadow ignored the warning remark, his emotion and face staying as unchanged as concrete.

"Let go of her." Shadow demanded. Amy gasped, beaming.

"Shadow!" she cried with joy. It pleased her to see him on his feet once more, but the fact that he cared for her safety in such a way made her heart and soul sing.

There was a long pause that filled the cold, dense air with silence; the alien leader was scanning for emotions, for feelings and reactions, from his hybrid biological son. He was picking up strange auras from Shadow, which Black Doom wished to explore deeper. His grip on Amy's dress tightened, and her cheerful smile vanished in a blink of an eye. She redirected her focus to Black Doom, who kept his dark crimson eyes planted on Shadow. He smirked.

"I could not help but to notice how odd your reaction was to my contact with this girl…" Black Doom mused. Shadow's eyes changed from vengeful to cautious; he knew that his adversary was leading into something. "Perhaps you feel something of significance to her? Since you aren't bothering to speak, I wonder what you'll do if I do this…!"

Amy's dress was instantly free of tension, but just as the thought to run struck her mind, Black Doom's hand snatched her up once more, but this time on her arm. She was dragged backwards into the alien leader's torso, finally ending up with her neck constricted by one of his arms. Amy attempted to call out for help, but all the air she needed was promptly stopped by Black Doom, as well as the air she needed to release. In desperation, the girl lifted her hands, clasping them onto the hedgehog's arm so she could buy herself a few gulps of air. In reaction to all the commotion, Shadow instinctively and unconsciously stepped forward, outstretching a hand in silent plea for his creator to stop and release the poor, weak hedgehog. Black Doom chuckled.

"So that did get something out of you. How darling."

Shadow brought his hand to his side, clenching fists and heaving a quiet sigh. He looked away, regaining his composure; unfortunately for him, Shadow's emotions fell out of his control when seeing Amy, a girl so dear to him, being threatened in such a manner. There was no taking back what he showed, especially to Black Doom. He accepted it, but decided to make up for his mistake by standing his ground. He looked at the helpless pink hedgehog, but shifted his gaze to her captor.

"Release her, Black Doom; she has nothing to do with this." Shadow tried his demands again. His face went back to its normal callous expression out of him doing his best to show as little emotion as he could.

"On the contrary, child, she must be of some worth, otherwise she would not be here in the first place."

Amy finally gained enough oxygen to supply some strength to push her voice out of her throat. She reached out with a weak, trembling hand towards the black hedgehog, opening her emerald eyes slightly. Amy's fear of passing out was growing by the second.

"Sh-Shadow…!" she squeaked out, only receiving a tighter headlock from Black Doom. Amy whimpered, clamping down on his arm and tried to pry it off of her, but she knew it would be of no avail; he had to be at least ten thousand times stronger than she. Shadow's eyes grew concerned, but he knew if he were to step forward, he would endanger Amy's chances of escape even more. He drew his mouth into a fine line to keep from unleashing his anger and rage so soon. But what was he to do? Amy was running out of time, and with the unpredictable acts of Black Doom, those moments of consciousness could be shortened or drawn out depending on how he felt.

_Dammit! _He cursed in his head. To let his weakness show was his first major error in all of this; if Amy died, he would never forgive himself. It would be like losing Maria again, but somehow Shadow felt it would be far, far worse. The black hedgehog did not know, nor did he understand why his pain would be far greater, but he did in fact know that something had to be done. Amy had to get out of Black Doom's grasp. Now he needed a plan.

Amy managed to take in enough air for one last plea, but this time, she directed it to the alien leader. "P-please…let me go…! I can't…I can't breathe!"

Her begging and pain sent waves of satisfaction over Black Doom; he so enjoyed torturing his victims while others watched hopelessly. Even with the time constraint they were under, he didn't mind toying with two hedgehogs before proceeding. Perhaps her pain, the alien realized, would be a key role in persuading Shadow into at least listening to him. Only then could this girl lead into a temporary alliance between he and Shadow, just as he wanted, and then…well, it would lead into things far greater and triumphant. And if the ebony hedgehog was to deny anything, Black Doom's sons would be eating well.

"Mm, it all depends on Shadow's choice of action, my dear…" Black Doom trailed off in a sing-song voice. Just as he wished for, his son perked at his name, for he sensed an opportunity for Amy's release.

"What do you want?" he asked cautiously. Shadow would comply with Black Doom's demands to an extent; he would obey just as long as Amy was safe.

"Ah, a bargain over a trivial life. Just what I was hoping…" Black Doom trailed off, loosening his hold on Amy enough for his other hand to lift her chin up in Shadow's direction. "You obviously have some sort of…relationship with this girl. Ally, companion, mate, whatever it may be; it would be a shame if something were to happen to her. So let me make this perfectly clear, Shadow. You will listen to what I have to say, for it is something of interest in your case as long as you care for your little planet."

"And if I do, you'll let Amy go safely." Shadow finished, taking one step forward. Black Doom nodded grimly. Though so close to agreement, he remembered how his creator could be fickle with his truces. Shadow's eyes darkened slightly. "If you are lying, then –"

"Then I would be asking for a second death, I know." The alien leader latched onto Shadow's last words, face stern and serious. Amy was astonished as to how well Shadow and Black Doom knew each other; it was as if they were reading off of a script. "Believe me when I say that I am not going to lie about any of this. I certainly wish I was; it would save me several sons in the process, as well as my reputation, but I digress. You have my word, Shadow. I can assure you that I am more trustworthy than your second creator."

The general mention of Professor Gerald used in such a manner sparked a flame of rage once more in Shadow's soul. He longed to lunge at Black Doom with everything he had, yet he was wise enough to stay in his place. If Black Doom was willing to accept the consequences of any false information, and he presented himself in such a serious manner, perhaps there was something Shadow needed to pay attention to after all. He glanced at Amy, who was struggling with keeping consciousness; for her sake, he had to make a decision – the right decision. Hearing Black Doom out would have to do, no matter how hard it would be.

"Fine." Shadow mumbled, resisting the urge to cross his arms. A heavy silence hung in the air, weighing down on the hedgehogs. Just as the black blur wondered if Black Doom had heard him or not, his ears twitched as a desperate gasp from Amy broke the silence. Black Doom still clung to her wrists, not wishing to free her as of yet in case of any escape attempts on Shadow's part. It worried him less to see her gulping in the needed amount of air, but a nagging worry of her well-being hung in his mind.

"Excellent."


	4. A Flame Extinguished by Fate

_Sorry for the wait, guys! Argh! I've been so lazy on my writing lately. Mario Galaxy 2 is eating me up XD _

_But, anyways! Here is our fourth main character! He's an OC, yes, but I've taken the time to make sure he's not a Gary Stu. And he's not. XD Main villain alert! We'll see him face-to-face later on. __The next few chapters are going to be full of important information! All of your questions are going to be answered now or very soon! If you don't understand something in this chapter or any others, please don't hesitate in asking me. :D I really hope everything flows well enough, too. _

_I'm posting some cool-important stuff on deviantART concerning this story, so if you want, head over to my profile and find my deviantART link. There you can find the art for Black Doom as a hedgehog and other things. /self-advertising_

_Enjoy!_

_-Laz_

* * *

"You see, Shadow, to put it bluntly," Black Doom started, "the Earth is on the brink of annihilation."

The ominous words seemed to echo throughout the room, casting silence afterwards. Though distracted by Amy's condition, Shadow was aware of the alien's puzzling words. Annihilation of the planet – the only other time he had heard the phrase was during the Black Arms invasion, but it was obvious that Black Doom was not the cause of the world's projected fall. Why would a leader of a giant scheme reveal his intentions so quickly? He would not; that made Shadow question the extent of his own curiosity. He almost did not want to know who was in charge of the impending disaster.

"How so?" Shadow asked, significantly calmer. With a free hand, Black Doom beckoned for Shadow to draw nearer; the hedgehog did so slowly, mindful of any traps that may have been concealed.

"The entire family does not need to hear about this a second time, Shadow," Black Doom muttered, looking away. He looked guilty, his ears drooping slightly, but still held a proud stature. "We do not exactly like to talk about it." Shadow examined Black Doom's reaction and allowed himself to keep a few feet between them both. Amy was both disturbed and relieved at the distance; her stomach lurched at the thought of what could unsettle the Black Arms in such a way, but seeing Shadow before her made it seem a little less daunting.

"Why? What's happening?" Shadow eased his tone of voice so that it sounded almost caring. Black Doom scowled, both repulsed by Shadow's slightly affectionate voice and being reminded of the situation in front of them at the very moment.

"An invasion – one that is surprisingly enough not by us," Black Doom replied. "Even more disquieting is the fact that the race that is leading this happens to be stronger than the Black Arms at this very moment."

The word 'stronger' echoed in Shadow's head. The Black Arms were indeed strong, he would admit; after all, it was Black Doom who led them, but it took some effort putting them in their place the last time. He wondered just how much effort he would have to bring in this fight; certainly enough to assist Black Doom.

"How much stronger are they now?" Amy asked, trying to look up at the alien leader in vain. She ended up with the sight of the incomparable high ceiling as opposed to the spitting image of Shadow, much to her dislike. "Is it a lot more or just a little?"

"It's enough for me to ask Shadow for help." Black Doom replied, keeping his eyes locked on the black hedgehog. Amy cringed, knowing that if two Ultimate Life Forms couldn't do the job, there was a low chance anyone could. "I am the original Ultimate Life Form, yes – I was granted that title long ago because of my chaos powers. That is not to say, however, that this army's leader is not strong. From past experience, their leader is cunning and very powerful, to say the least; I would try prompting him with a duel myself but in this weak body, I doubt I would get far in a fight."

"I'd like to know who I'm going up against before I make any promises." Shadow crossed his arms, raising a brow at his father. Black Doom grimaced, closing his eyes; it clearly did him internal harm to even think of the name. Amy felt the direct effects from Black Doom's stress, for her wrists felt painful tension from his one hand holding onto them. She fought back a whimper.

"Fate." Black Doom growled. "Dark Fate. Similar to me in more ways than one, but he annoys me more than you do, if that helps paint a better picture."

Amy swallowed nervously as her wrists felt more freedom. She longed to beg Shadow to try not to enrage him again in fear of loss of circulation, or accidental amputation for that matter, but decided to keep quiet. In doing so, she allowed Shadow to challenge Black Doom further; a big mistake on her part. Being a kind, empathetic girl gave her the insight of villains that no one else saw. In this case, she could feel Black Doom's pressing and pleading emotions, and though she didn't trust them at first, they grew more and more until Amy had no more doubts. Something was truly happening; even as a sly leader, Black Doom couldn't make this up. She needed Shadow to listen, though.

"He holds grudges, then? You said you've had past experience with him, so this must mean you two are sworn enemies." Shadow said. "What happened that made you –"

"Yes," Black Doom interrupted, mindful of where the conversation was headed. Shadow scowled. "We are hated enemies. I have been able to avoid him for a while now, but if rumors are true, he is destroying every planet I have made contact with, which of course, includes your little planet."

Amy, having heard Shadow's partial question, longed for the answer. Now she had strayed from her original intentions of making Shadow understand Black Doom's pleas; she was curious about Black Doom's reaction. Shadow had done that before on topics that were touchy that he discussed with Amy during their "heart-to-heart" conversations and she never had the bravery to insist on him telling. At this time, however, that seemed to change. She took a deep breath, conjuring up all the courage she had in her heart, and let her voice out. Amy gave up on her attempts to make eye contact with the alien leader and instead kept her eyes on Shadow, sending him a sympathetic yet worrisome expression. He lifted his head slightly seeing her watch him.

"What happened to make you guys mad at each other?" Amy asked.

"Well, that happens to be personal business, little girl," Black Doom scoffed. Amy's heart stumbled. "You have no place in knowing that information, and neither does Shadow, so I suggest you control your wandering mind, unless you want me to do it for you."

She climbed back into the comfort of her shy, quiet shell as soon as Black Doom finished. Fear was rushing through her body, triggering nerve-racking signals that made her head spin. Amy half-expected Black Doom to kick her in the back or bring harm to her in any way. She was relieved to feel no pain at all, but it was quite a surprise in her eyes. The pink hedgehog was almost certain that a sadistic and evil alien as Black Doom was would have destroyed her for trying to venture into his past. Amy decided to leave the questions to Shadow.

Meanwhile, the black hedgehog was thinking of something more than Black Doom's threatening answer; he scanned his memories for any proof of the invasion that he saw before he and Amy were teleported. The same images, the black silhouette and the storm over Westopolis, flashed in his mind as quick as lightning. He let his arms fall to his side, bringing his gaze back up at the alien leader.

"There were black clouds over Westopolis…is that a connection to this invasion…?"

Amy gasped. Yes! Yes, it had to be; though she wasn't there to see whatever clouds he spoke of, her mind automatically jumped the gun and decided it was a direct connection. When Black Doom answers in the same manner, Amy told herself, Shadow would have to believe him and they would fight Fate and win. She smiled as her plan formed smoothly in her head.

Black Doom shrugged. "The chances are likely. You must have blacked out before you could see anything more, yes?"

"I saw a black figure before I passed out." Shadow said matter-of-factly.

"A foot soldier or a scout, perhaps." Black Doom trailed off into silence. He suddenly jerked out of his thoughts. "Dammit, this is taking too long, Shadow! We don't have time to stand around and talk about this – considering the great dilemma Earth is in at this very second should persuade you enough into helping me."

Shadow took the urgency in offense, throwing him off guard. He shot back an answer as quick as he could.

"Strange how you always said alliances meant nothing to you, and now you come to me practically on your knees, Black Doom!" Shadow looked to the side, letting the room fill with silence. "…I'm in doubt. How am I supposed to know this 'Fate' is even real? You told me lies before that I fell for, and now this…I don't know what to think."

Black Doom sighed, narrowing his eyes and looking to the side. He was clearly disappointed in Shadow, truly. He wished that the black hedgehog could have had retained an ounce of trust in him, but how could Black Doom blame him? Shadow had a legitimate argument; damn his trickery before. If he knew that Fate was coming after the Black Arms – if he knew he was going to fall and rise again, if he knew all of this was going to happen, Black Doom would have done everything differently. Honesty was not one of his better skills.

"Shadow…" Black Doom trailed off, unsure of what to say. Time was pressing and they needed to do something fast before Fate got ahead of them too much.

"Shadow, he's telling the truth."

Shadow's eyes narrowed in Amy's direction in disbelief. The alien leader's ears perked up as he peered down at the girl in just as much surprise as Shadow was. Oh, God, he praised, perhaps she was indeed the key in Shadow's alliance!

Amy swallowed, locating her words and selecting them carefully. "Think about it; he wouldn't have brought us here just to tease or lie. Don't you think he's busy enough as it is? He has an entire civilization to rebuild, but instead he made an effort to go out of his way and teleport us both here! I wouldn't be surprised if he never wanted to make contact, let alone think about Earth, either! He hates you, me, and the rest of the world!"

"Amy…" Shadow muttered, the gears turning in his head. Everything she was saying was so clear, so true; he was letting his past grudges get in the way. Of course, he was not completely convinced to trust his biological father quite yet. Shadow lacked proof of the true existence of this "Fate" figure, and he quietly made the decision in his mind to further investigate it later.

"Shadow, I don't want to sound bossy or mean or anything like that. I just think he really needs help from us! It's the only explanation – please, trust me on this! I'm afraid of the lack of time we have right now!" Amy pleaded. Shadow frowned, blinking once before shifting his gaze at Black Doom, who blinked, returning the astounded stare.

"I did not force any of that."

Shadow sighed internally out of relief and apprehension that Amy would say such a thing. She was always one to defend the innocent, sure, but defending Black Doom, someone even she feared, was out of her own character. Whatever brought her on to do such a thing was beyond Shadow's recognition. His father continued after regaining his composure.

"Truly it is degrading to get as low as to ask my half-breed son and his little mate to assist me in this, but what she speaks of is true." Black Doom said quietly in a soothing, rich satiny tone that made attempts at softening Shadow's heart. It only did so partially, however. The rest was up to Black Doom's own words. "This girl is quite intelligent, Shadow, I'll admit that. If it would persuade you more, I will drop by vows to end her life and allow her to stay here as well as mark her off-limits to your brothers until this little conflict is resolved."

"Tell me what will happen if I don't comply." Shadow said, staring down at the ground in thought.

Amy wanted to slap him for his stubbornness. Though it was common for Shadow to be skeptical, this time was just painful; literally and metaphorically. Her wrists that were held fast by the original Ultimate Life Form were beginning to tire from his strong grip. She wished she had the courage to tell him to loosen up, but her fear of the alien leader was far too great for her to do anything. Amy winced in pain, trying to adjust her position to let Black Doom know she was in pain. If he knew it or not, he did not react to the girl's struggles but instead jerked her arms backward in warning.

"My sons have a free meal and I have a free servant." Black Doom answered simply. "That is to say, you would be serving me, not this girl. Not very hard to understand, now is it? I need to get an answer now, Shadow. Do we have a deal?"

Shadow searched in Black Doom's slightly aged blood red eyes, sensing a slight twinge of impatience. He ignored the alien's sense of urgency, however, and decided to leave the decision in Amy's hands. Shadow looked at the pink hedgehog, who was hunched over, forced to be in compliance with Black Doom's hold of her. She stared up at him, cuing up her big emerald eyes that showed a different kind of concern than he had seen from before. Amy's head nodded slightly at first, barely visible to his own eyes, but then the nods became more confident and pronounced. Black Doom placed a hand on her head in order to stop her quills from brushing up on his face, and in attempts to encourage Shadow's own decision making skills to shine. Finally, the black hedgehog spoke in a doubting, jarring tone.

"If Amy feels that it is safe enough, I'll go with it. But if something happens, if one little thing falls out of place that makes me question your intentions, it's over." Shadow threatened darkly. Black Doom chuckled softly.

"You certainly get the ever-hostile threats from me. Very well." Black Doom released Amy's wrists, giving the freedom she long sought for. Before her mind could react, Black Doom kicked her square in the back, sending her flying forward. She yelped out in pain, but shut her mouth as soon as a pair of strong arms caught her from the opposite side of the room. Amy looked up at the black hedgehog with thankful eyes, only to be sent a blank, ordinary stare back.

"Make yourselves comfortable, rather, somewhat comfortable. I have other matters to attend to for a few minutes in order to prepare the fight against this nuisance, and I would appreciate it if you two respect my home. In doing so, I will respect yours…" Black Doom started, stopping mid-sentence. He narrowed his eyes at Shadow. "Try to keep your little paws off your brothers; you have already caused us enough trouble as it is."

Shadow said nothing, simply glaring back at the cloaked hedgehog. After moments of silence, Black Doom turned to the side and began walking briskly off, closing his eyes and muttering something unidentifiable to Amy's ears. It was foreign sounding, like a different language; Amy wondered whether or not what she heard was even true. In her confused, frazzled state, she no longer trusted her senses for the time being. But the sounds were all too real, and to Shadow, they seemed strangely familiar. When his ears picked up on the eloquent, flowing noises of tones and syllables, the black hedgehog did indeed recognize it; only where Shadow had heard it before or how he even learned it in the first place was completely out of his knowledge. All he knew was that he understood it and was able to translate it.

"_Damned half-breed." _

The words both stabbed Shadow and did nothing to him. This was Black Doom speaking; naturally, he was a very sadistic, insulting being. Shadow had done something more than offensive to the alien leader and his minions by destroying their entire civilization, so maybe he deserved the insult. But at the same time, something internal nagged at him, as if he had been kicked off his mountain. Shadow was aware that the remark struck a nerve in his rarely-seen sentimentality.

But wait, sentimentality? Sentimentality towards what? Surely not Black Doom; he may have been Shadow's biological father, but that was no reason to feel affection towards him. Shadow hated him, and he hated Shadow. Even if he did care for Black Doom, he would not receive the same treatment back. Still, all of the insults, the fights he had picked with Black Doom – he suddenly wondered if it unnecessarily hurt the alien. Shadow had done so much already in killing an entire race, his own race for that matter. Perhaps he was being too harsh…

"Shadow, are you okay?" Amy's voice snapped him out of it. Shadow perked up, looking down at the pink hedgehog's upside-down face. Even in the wrong direction, the black hybrid could see her emerald eyes were full of concern and curiosity. He always melted a little inside when she gave him that stare, but he tried to surpass his temptation to release all his pent-up feelings every time, even then.

He simply nodded, glancing back up to where Black Doom had exited. Shadow frowned; something odd was happening to him, yes, but first thing's first, he reminded himself: he needed to find answers to things Black Doom had left out.


	5. Sparks on the Horizon

__

Happy Father's Day, guys! Boy, oh, boy, is this a nice present, or what? COMPLETELY coincidental. Absolutely unintentional.

_And for that reason, the next update will be delayed quite a bit. Sorry 'bout that. I did NOT plan to post this today on this FATHER'S day, and I DIDN'T want this to be a special gift to you all or anything, and I accidentally slacked a little and got off schedule._

_That last part was real, though. I haven't finished 7 yet. Blarrrgh. I'll plow through it tonight and tomorrow. Hopefully. _

_Either way, enjoy! Connections are drawn between two characters this time around! Or, is it three? Hmmm..._

_-Laz _

* * *

Amy heaved a sigh, letting her heavy, tense limbs hang down as she fell to her knees. Shadow let her slip through his hands, still focused on the door that latched shut seconds before. It was as if he could see Black Doom still, and he was ready to fire anything that he had at him. Calling him names and successfully pulling him into an alliance were frowned upon in Shadow's mind, sure, but threatening Amy like that was inexcusable. When he said if Black Doom went out of line, then he would leave, he meant it. If Amy was hurt and it was Black Doom's fault, they would be out of it for good.

It began to kick in slowly: he and Black Doom…were partners now. The same monster that terrorized the entire planet with his army, the same monster that was so close to imprisoning the entire human race, the same monster he thought he killed was now a close ally. Were Amy's instincts correct? His reasoning was that if the squeamish and frightened hedgehog trusted Black Doom, then he, a strong and brave hedgehog should as well. Or at least, that was his reasoning at the time.

Maybe he had made a mistake? No, it was for Earth, the planet he and his late human friend, Maria dreamed of visiting aboard his home, the ARK. Now he lived with Amy and her friends on the planet of his dreams; he fought for it every day, every second of his life, and this is no different. It shouldn't be, at least.

"I thought I'd never get away from him…geez! Your dad really needs to ease up on people, Shadow, I mean, that really hurt!"

'Dad'? Did she just refer to Black Doom with that affectionate term that children use with their fathers? Black Doom wasn't Shadow's father – Gerald was. Gerald loved him and cared for him, and Black Doom treated him like an overused, over-praised object.

"My…what?" Shadow turned away from Amy, suddenly aware of his anger towards the girl. He was getting out of control, rather, his emotions were getting out of control. It was not fair for him to take it out on Amy, yet, something deep inside shoved his rage up to his voice, ready to be unleashed.

Amy, on the other hand, was suddenly aware of what she said. Big mistake, she shouted in her head. All the alarms in her brain went off, sending her ears ringing; how could she have been so stupid, to talk to Shadow about Black Doom like that? It was completely accidental.

"Sh-Shadow, no, wait! It's not what you think – I mean, I didn't mean to say that! Really, I didn't!" Amy's cheeks turned red and her stomach churned at the idea of Shadow calling Black Doom that name as well.

He sat down, taking deep, silent breaths. A dark part of him was hammering away at his mind and his emotions, tempting him to explode in anger. Black Doom's name swirled around and around his mind, intoxicating Shadow with complete fury.

_He's not my father…he's not my father…he's not my father…_

_**Yes, he is.**_

_Shut up; he is not. _

_**But you two share a bond…a bond that you and Gerald never had.**_

"Shadow…?" Amy's voice was less frantic. From her place, she watched Shadow motionlessly fight the villainous voices in his head. She dropped her head eventually, staring at the rose-colored floor. Silence was her answer, setting the stage for guilt to surround and attack her. Her heart lurched; Shadow must have been so angry, so enraged with her that his own emotions would tear their friendly relationship that she worked so hard for apart. "I really am sorry, Shadow! If you only knew how sorry I am…gawd, I'm such an idiot!"

"No, you're not an idiot." Shadow's voice sounded monotone: cold and unfeeling. He was distracted with his own conversation, and clearly, Amy was not satisfied with the response.

"Please tell me you forgive me!"

"I do."

_**Is he your father?**_

_No, he isn't!_

"No, you don't!"

"Yes, I do." Shadow sounded irked now, emphasizing the first word so much that it startled the girl behind him.

_**Yes, he is…you know it's true…**_

_God, leave me alone! I don't give a damn what he is to me!_

"You don't sound like it, Shadow…" Amy muttered, now close to tears. "Everything's all screwed up because of me. I was the one who said we should stay and help, and you really don't want to be here."

The voice ceased. Shadow thought he was free of his conflict, until he opened his mouth to speak. His words, his voice was out of his own control; now his anger and hatred spoke for him, stabbing Amy in the chest with his jarring tone and words.

"Oh, really? What the hell made you think that I don't want to be here right now, Amy?" Shadow hissed, clenching his fists in anger. "Why wouldn't I be happy here, back in the place I hated so much, back alongside the person I despise the most in the entire universe? Do tell, Amy. I would love to know!"

Amy blinked, her heart sinking faster and faster until she couldn't stand it any longer. She had never seen Shadow be enraged like this with her in all her life; they had their disagreements but they never fought. It was more than painful to receive such a rage-infested voice from Shadow – it was excruciating agony that she couldn't bear. Amy could barely hold her tears back; was there any hope for her romantic life with Shadow now? She could only think of loneliness forever because of her one mistake of alliance. Her feminine instincts were to blame.

"Sh-Shadow…I'm so sorry…I'll do something about it…I'm just so…I'm just so sorry." Amy hugged her knees, snapping her eyes shut. Not even a half an hour into this and she already felt homesick; she wanted to return home where life was simple and where she and Shadow were constant friends. Her mind began wondering if the entire situation was a horrid nightmare and if she would wake up soon to see Shadow over her bed, asking if she was ready to gaze at the stars.

Damn, did he screw up. Shadow cringed, making fists once again to relieve his tension. Suddenly, he stood, grabbing the attention of Amy. He stood over her with closed eyes, exhaling a sigh that sounded so stressed, so regretful that it made her tear up. He reached down, offering a hand to the girl. She took it hesitantly, uncertain of what was to happen next. She longed for a hug, or at least a smile from the black hedgehog, but she received neither. Instead she only saw his crimson eyes.

"I'm sorry. That was wrong of me to lash out at you in such a manner." Shadow quietly apologized. "This is just difficult for me; I'm feeling so many emotions right now and I'm overwhelmed beyond belief. I hope you understand."

She pressed her mouth into a fine line, sucking up her tears and calming down. A flare-up, Amy told herself. It was only an explosion of emotions, and he didn't mean to hurt her like that. It was slightly relieving to know that, yet she wondered why Shadow was not discussing his feelings with her like he usually did.

"Shadow, we can talk now. We can sort your emotions out so when he comes back, everything will be okay, and we can fight this guy together and –" Amy started, feeling more joyous than before. Shadow turned away from her.

"I would love to stay and discuss them, Amy, but I need to find things out." Shadow said, cutting into her sentence without warning. Amy blinked, about to ask him to stay, but she decided to let him go; perhaps it was for the best for him to seek the answers he wanted. Amy had no doubt that the black hedgehog had questions that went unanswered. As he began walking, the pink hedgehog gasped.

"Wait, you're leaving me here? In a place like this?" Amy exclaimed. Shadow glanced over his shoulder.

"You'll be fine if you stay on your feet; didn't Black Doom say he was marking you 'off limits'?" he advised, seeming to not care much for her safety. Amy cringed in fear; he usually cared for her well-being, but now he was letting his desire for answers in the way of Amy. He suddenly stopped, turning to her for a brief moment. "And if he asks where I am, just say I went on a walk, alright? I don't need him on my conscience right now."

Amy began to question the black hedgehog, holding up a hand as if she could control his actions. But after a brief moment, she knew it would be no use in getting in the way of Shadow's goal; he was persistent and stubborn, one of the most driven people she had ever seen in her life. Therefore, it was best for her to just sit out and wait for him to come back. Maybe then he would be more open to talking about his feelings, she thought positively.

Her heart climbed back up to resume its normal position in her chest as Amy took a deep breath. Now all she needed to do was to look out for her own self. Crossing her arms, she looked over both her shoulders with silence hanging over her head. Not an alien in sight. Amy looked back in the direction Shadow had been walking in and saw nothing there; it sent chills down her spine. He probably started running to speed up the process of escaping whatever area he was in so that Black Doom could have no hope in tracing his path.

That reminded her: where in the world were they, anyway? It seemed like a nightmarish place, but at the same time, it felt like, dare she say, a home. Picking up her booted foot, she checked the ground underneath it; it was a strange color. A pale rose, almost like her quills, but it was an earthy tone.

The entire place gave off a strange aura, and Amy could not even sense auras. She was just a normal hedgehog, after all, which meant that if she could sense something weird, this place was definitely strange. Or…was it? It might have been something else; not a strange aura, but a familiar one.

Suddenly, a low, rich voice shattered the silence, sending Amy's heart on a marathon and nearly throwing her feet out of her boots.

"Alright, half-breed, for now, it would be best if you stayed off of the Earth's surface so you won't be –"

She whirled around to see Black Doom looking around confusedly. The sight almost made her smile; Amy never saw Shadow with such a puzzled expression, but seeing the nearly-identical image of him doing so was the next best thing. Finally, the ebony hedgehog scowled, turning his focus to Amy. That made her swallow her impending giggles almost instantaneously. This was definitely not Shadow she was looking at, Amy's mind chanted. It was an alien that was brought back to life somehow, and that alien was at least two thousand years old. It didn't help that Black Doom didn't look his age; he looked like Shadow, except a little taller. Her mind went into an endless cycle.

"Where is he?"

_On a walk. _Amy remembered Shadow's plea, but somehow she couldn't put it into words. Too many thoughts and wonders spiraled in her brain that she could barely focus on the black hedgehog standing a ways before her. What if Black Doom heard Shadow's outburst? What if he heard everything? With her hands clenched, she took a deep, heavy sigh in attempts to advance in calming down.

Black Doom walked up to her, eyeing her over and crossing his arms.

"Well?" he demanded. Amy stared up, speechless. She didn't know if it was fear of the alien leader or because his image reminded her of Shadow, but whatever it was, something was preventing her from speaking. Black Doom fumed, setting a hand on her head, weighing it down with extravagant force. "Look, girl, I do not wish to waste my energy in prying the answers out of you like I do everyone else I meet, so I will give you one more chance before doing so."

The girl's head spun as Black Doom lifted his hand from her skull. She didn't wish to know how he pried answers out of the others he met, no, but she could not answer honestly. This was Shadow they were talking about; her very heart's desire! He towered over Amy, peering down with impatient, cutting dark eyes.

"Where. Is. Shadow?"

"…O-on a walk." Finally, her voice broke the blockade and entered the cold air. Black Doom's expression melted into a doubtful, confused one.

"What?"

"A walk. Sh-Shadow's on a walk." Amy repeated more clearly, clenching her fists as she made a clean-cut lie courtesy of Shadow's own wishes.

Her mind gasped, suddenly aware of Black Doom's capabilities. Could he read her mind? What if he could – was she going to spoil Shadow's plans by being so easy to read? Her body began to tremor in fear until her shoulders felt the same massive weight from before upon them. Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest when Amy realized Black Doom's sturdy hands were set upon her shoulders; granted it was not in the affectionate way that Shadow sometimes did, but having made contact with the alien was strange, to be sure.

"For God's sake, calm down. I'm not going to kill you." Black Doom narrowed his eyes. He was disgusted with the contact he made with the female, yes, but it was almost sickening to see her shake in such a manner. He was sadistic and enjoyed pain and misery at the appropriate times when he was in the act of doing something to his victims, but at the time, he had not lain a finger on her and she looked as if she were about to faint.

One moment – what was he doing? Feeling sorry for this terrified girl was something completely unacceptable; he had seen thousands of executions and loved every minute of them all. Even when he was just watching, he was never directly doing anything to his victims, he still savored every tremble and scream, every drop of blood that he had seen and heard. This was no different. Why not have fun with her? Play with her mind a little and use her weaknesses against her, a voice in his head taunted. Shadow could wait a little longer, after all; it was that hedgehog's fault that Black Doom was in this situation in the first place. So what if something were to accidentally happen to her? Being the villain was a part Black Doom loved to play, and he played it extremely well.

Damn those eyes, though. Amy reminded him unintentionally with her puppy-dog stare that within his villain role was a complex structure of skills and abilities as well as needs and essentials; the particular essential he needed to acquire was trust from this little affectionate Earthling. Clearly Black Doom did not play the hero part well. It's for Shadow, he told himself. He took an internal deep breath. If he did something to this delicate hedgehog, his hope of defeating that despicable Fate would fly away faster than he could even dream. He could not believe he, the Ultimate Life Form, former ruler of the universe itself, was stooping to a stupid, insignificant half-breed hedgehog's levels, yet he needed to. Even though his present form was Shadow's fault in more ways than one, this entire scheme was based around Shadow. If he hurt this girl, Shadow would vanish, and Black Doom would fall. It was a perfect domino effect that made it so clear in Black Doom's mind what to do:

_**Do not hurt her. **_

Those eyes again. There was something about her emerald green eyes that made Black Doom feel strange, and for that matter, Amy herself made him feel reminiscent of something, or someone from long ago. Something surged in his cold, unfeeling heart, causing his hands to lift off her shoulders. Though overwhelmed, Black Doom quickly regained his composure and locked into the girl's eyes.

"Which way did he go?"

_Lie!_ _Tell a lie! _Amy instinctively thought. It would help Shadow's plans, whatever they were, if Black Doom went in the opposite direction. Whatever just happened to Black Doom was way too creepy, she thought. Amy promised herself that she would get out of this uncomfortable position very soon, and the fastest way seemed to be lying. The pink hedgehog pointed straight forward, the opposite direction that Shadow ventured.

After a brief pause, Black Doom smirked, now completely recovered from before. He liked this girl's thinking; she had potential. She was trying to trick him, to hoodwink him, and she would walk away knowing that she triumphed over the great Lord Black Doom. And she couldn't be more wrong.

Back behind him was nothing of Shadow's interest, assuming that the half-breed knew exactly where he was. After all, Black Doom exited behind where he stood now; from the door that he came from lay rooms of nothing but the technological area of the place they were in. If Shadow wanted to know something, he would go the opposite way and up the spiraling halls to the library. Of course; with the familiarity of the location and Shadow's blood relations to Black Doom, the alien leader could practically feel every action, every breath and every heartbeat that Shadow made.

So he discovered the true direction of Shadow's path. Knowing the weak constitution of this girl, clearly Shadow had told her something to say, and now she was attempting to spit his words back out to him in a manner that was dysfunctional and obvious. How pathetic, yet strangely amusing; his son was picking up on things Black Doom himself would normally do. They were both alike in more ways than he imagined. Now more pleased than ever, Black Doom was ready to find his son and get things straight with him.

"Mm, thank you," Black Doom laughed, walking in the direction Shadow had gone in. "You've told me everything I need to know."

Amy whirled around, blinking and wide-eyed, ready to call out Black Doom's name. Instead, her words in her mind transferred into nothing but stuttered, short noises that were unidentifiable to Amy herself. This was happening so fast; how did Black Doom see through her lie? She had no clue, but finally her head connected with her voice and called out the alien's name in attempts to stop the black hedgehog. As if her cry out was just a passing breeze, Black Doom continued onwards. Even if he did hear it, he paid no mind to it. He only smirked darkly.

That sly, devious little hedgehog.


	6. Answer Derived from Truth

_I believe TODAY marks the end of my hiatus! I'm sooo sorry for the wait, everyone! __This is an info-fest. If you don't understand something, let me know and I'll sort it out for you. XD And yes, big shocks to some people about just who Fate is...heh heh. Look at my dA page for upcoming pics relating to this chapter!_

_-Laz_

* * *

Shadow had cursed under his breath at least a thousand times by the time Black Doom had left Amy. His feet took him the ways his instinct told him to move in; eerily enough, Shadow never got lost this way. It was not like this when he ventured around in Gerald's grandson's bases, for most of the time his instincts led him to dead ends. But in this strangely colored place, his front never met a wall. Shadow knew full well where he was, knew exactly what direction to go in, when to turn a corner, and what door to open.

That was the problem. Shadow knew now where he and Amy had been warped to for certain; he needed no flashy neon sign to tell that he was traveling through the Black Comet. It should have been so obvious beforehand, especially with Black Doom's "rebuilt home" remark from earlier. How it came back was completely a mystery to the black hybrid hedgehog, just as Black Doom's return was. Shadow himself obliterated it with the Eclipse Cannon months prior, shooting bits into space that could have easily traveled out of the galaxy's borders by now, so how in the world did it manage to return to its normal wholesome shape? Another question scratched off the list and another was added in its place. His life was the definition of misery.

It had been mere minutes of Shadow's wandering, and he was surprised to see no one up and about. Every time Shadow turned a corner, he half-expected a black and red foot soldier to be standing there pointing a gun to his face; yet he saw nothing but the strange alien decorations that seemed to be growing from the very ground. Surely it would be the opposite if the Black Comet had found its way back to existence again, and if he remembered correctly, Black Doom had said something about soldiers, too. So why weren't they there? It surprised him that no one had shown up to confront or threaten him for his past actions. Shadow fully and almost proudly admitted that he was a traitor to the Black Arms in every sense of the word; there was treachery and mutiny and then there was just an all-out destruction of a civilization. Shadow fell into the latter. He was relieved when the Black Arms fell, but now that they were back, it heaved the burden he felt months prior back onto his shoulders.

But at the same time, he felt a particle of happiness that they returned. The Black Arms was his only family, and like it or not, they would stay that way. The voice from before spoke the truth: Black Doom was Shadow's true father, alive or dead. If they were his family, he saw no reason why he should not accept it and move on…or stay.

His stomach lurched; staying with Black Doom because he was his biological father? That was disgusting. It had the logic of offering your home to a criminal or a terrorist. Even worse was the fact that Black Doom had a history of at least verbally abusing Shadow. If he stayed, that verbal abuse would most likely rise to physical. Just what he needed, he thought, a villain for a father that did his best at making his son's life a living hell. Still, his mind chimed again. Though he agreed to stay with Amy and the others, it was not to say he had to stay there forever. Perhaps if things changed, Shadow could dwell with Black Doom and the Black Arms, wherever they were. He shook it off, dubbing his words trivial; he needed to focus on one thing at a time. Currently, his time was dedicated to finding more about this "Dark Fate" figure.

As Shadow strode up what appeared to be an enormous spiral lined with doors, he gradually became more aware of something. Step by step his posture would perk up and his ears twitched slightly as if he could sense a power emitting from one of the rooms. Finally, he stopped in front of a black door; this place, the black hedgehog noted, was at the peak of his senses. The room behind the door was practically calling his name like it was alive and ready to eat him. Though Shadow himself knew nothing of what lay behind that door, he could only guess that it was giving off signals for a reason. Before approaching it, Shadow took one last look over his shoulders. Not a soul in sight, he noticed, not even Black Doom. The coast was clear, and it was now or never.

He lifted a gloved hand, ready to use blunt force if need be. Shadow was still cautious, but he assured himself that his powers would supply him efficient-enough support if need be. In a flash, the door vanished before Shadow could even touch it. He blinked, drawing his hand back, but hesitantly moved toward the open room. It was dimly-lit with a dark fuchsia color, colder than its exterior, and held a large monitor a ways from the door. Shadow had never seen this room when he infiltrated the Black Comet months prior, he recalled. Assuming that this area contained important information, it must have been sealed and isolated so that no one could access it except Black Doom and a select few others, if anyone.

As the hedgehog stepped in further, the door shut tightly automatically. He let out a small gasp out of surprise, turning as it latched shut; the room was now darker than before, and upon closer inspection, the monitor and its keyboard glowed a haunting emerald. Shadow could feel his heart racing in his throat, now uncertain if leaving Amy behind for such a self-fulfilling act was justified. As far as he knew, he was trapped, and the only way out was to be caught by the alien leader himself. He did not want to think about the punishment he would receive for being in a place such as this. Narrowing his eyes, Shadow stared up at the large monitor mounted on the wall before him. He might as well make his time here worthwhile, Shadow thought as he stepped closer to it. His ears perked upon doing so; this screen was the thing that gave Shadow those odd signals. His answers laid within this machine.

"How to turn you on…" Shadow mumbled to himself as he found no "on" switch. He placed the palm of his hand up on the screen, and in a long, drawn-out hum, the screen flickered on.

The black hedgehog lifted his hand as he swallowed. Here it comes, he eagerly cheered. Something important, something of significance to the Black Arms was about to become planted in his memory. As seconds ticked by, the monitor resumed its last command screen, which was exactly what Shadow wanted to see. But as things began to appear more and more rapidly, Shadow frowned. Much to Shadow's dismay, everything on the screen appeared to be in odd characters that resembled Japanese or Chinese; completely unidentifiable to any outsiders. He connected the symbols with the flowing, eloquent sounds Black Doom had spoken earlier.

It was strange, the hedgehog thought, that the Black Arms would have a different language to begin with. Any soldier that Shadow had come in contact with were completely silent, and if anything, Black Doom spoke English so well that Shadow could have sworn that it was innate. With such a civilized race, a language barrier should be unnecessary. But it wasn't, apparently, and it disturbed Shadow to the point of self-doubt. He was so close to answers, and he probably found them all, but could not understand them.

Shaking his head and stroking his quills in defeat, Shadow heaved a sigh. His crimson eyes glanced back up at the monitor, letting them skim across the first line of symbols lazily.

"_Planet…waves…frequency…status…"_

Shadow's eyes widened; he understood this as well. Clearly it was the same language that Black Doom was speaking before he stormed out. Smirking, Shadow went back over the first line and continued, making sure to read bit by bit.

"_Planet: Earth. Waves: 29% frequency; decrease 113% in last hour. Invasion status: in progress. Commander: __Dark Fate__." _

The "waves" and "frequency" puzzled Shadow, though he assumed it had something to do with when he and Amy passed out. Could it have been that the entire planet felt the same thing? Though curious, Shadow knew he was pressed for time and moved on. Figuring the monitor was touch-sensitive, Shadow pressed two fingers on the word "Fate", initiating a new screen. Only more characters appeared, and he read on as well, absorbed by the information so much that he was oblivious to anything going on around him.

"_Fate. Commanding leader of several invasions and annihilations of planets; parent to several billions of children, among them are diverse types and species. Sentenced to life in prison due to an assassination attempt, but broken out shortly after his imprisonment. Son of __Nyx__."_

Shadow was troubled now; if Fate had the same intentions and goals as Black Doom, then it was a high possibility that he and Black Doom would be good candidates for strong allies. He frowned, but noticed the name "Nyx" underlined. That peaked his curiosity; attacking the source of Fate directly would bring him to his death easily. The only question was, who was Nyx, and did they have any special abilities to speak of? He navigated to Nyx's biography next.

"_Nyx. Guardian of stars and constellations, keeper of night skies. Age unknown; ageless and immortal. Various uncharted locations; known to change dwelling places often to keep identity concealed and safety maintained after an attempted assassination of her being. Aliases include "Night" or "Darkness descended from Chaos". Special abilities: numerous. Offspring includes –" _

"Nemisis, Misery, Death, Strife, Dusk, Sleep, Dreams, Deceit…"

Shadow's eyes widened. He whirled around, seeking support from the keyboard behind him as he saw a cloaked hedgehog at the door with piercing, vengeful eyes. Shadow blinked, scolding himself endlessly on the inside. He had, no doubt, been caught for whatever reason and with unknown methods, and he was about to become a rug for his captor.

"…Fate, and Doom." Black Doom finished, raising a brow in disapproval at Shadow. Though at a loss for words and unsure of how to react, the spying hybrid stammered out a response after a moment's hesitation.

"Y-you're joking," Shadow stuttered, taking a few glances up at the screen to confirm Black Doom's statement. Indeed, all of it was there, word for word, just as Black Doom had said. He shivered. "If Nyx is your mother, and Fate's mother, too, then that means –"

"Fate is my elder brother." Black Doom finished, crossing his arms. "You have an uncle and, dare I say, grandmother. Congratulations. Clearly Gerald did not understand what he was getting into when he offered me that deal of ours…"

"God…" Shadow muttered under his breath. "That's why you were so quick to deny telling us anything about your past with Fate…"

Black Doom nodded. Shadow looked away, uncertain of what to say or do, let alone think. To know that there are so many more family members than just Black Doom out there sent shivers down his spine; and did he even want to think about what they looked like or did to others?

"I do not favor speaking of our past relations with one another, but since you have gone out of your way, I suppose I have to."

"I'd like to know." Shadow said. Though his words implied a simple declaration, both hedgehogs knew that Shadow was demanding answers. Black Doom sighed, stepping inside more, though completely against his own will. Shadow clenched his fists and released them, glancing away; it was strangely satisfying to see Black Doom comply with Shadow's commands. Normally he would have expected it the other way around. Now, Shadow felt Amy's psychiatrist influences on him come into effect. Their heart-to-heart discussions under the stars were finally paying off.

"The things you won't do to earn trust," Black Doom scoffed, smirking slightly. "Alright, I'll tell you the vital facts…for starters, he and I are almost twins, simply spawned a week apart, but I have always been dubbed 'little brother' from him. But unlike me, he is far more vengeful and malicious, if you can wrap your head around that. Fate holds a significant amount of power, almost matching my own."

"Is he an Ultimate Life Form like us, then?"

"No, not officially, at least," Black Doom answered. "Nyx gave me several Chaos powers but she gave him more primitive, simple powers such as fire; she favored me over him for some reason, which translated into how she demoted powers. That's not to say he is not good at what he does; if he did have Chaos powers, it would mean that yes, he is an Ultimate Life Form. But since he does not, he is not, and that is a potential reason for why he wants me dead."

Shadow paused, absorbing the information that he was given thus far. He had a general idea of the sibling rivalry that had been going on for millenniums now, and truth be told, Shadow felt pity for Black Doom. Growing up with so many siblings must have been hard, he thought. Shadow himself never had any siblings that he grew up with other than Maria, but that was stretching it a little. But to be shown equal affection from Nyx might have been hard to go through, even if she loved Black Doom the most.

"I'm guessing you two haven't spoken in a while if he wants you dead."

"Approximately 2,450 years, actually; his grudges all began when he had an uncontrollable lust for universal conquest, just as I had at one point." Black Doom explained, glancing over his shoulder casually to see if any of his sons were approaching the area. "But since Nyx has control of the stars and skies, he thought he could save time and energy and overthrow her."

"If she's anything like you, that was a bad idea." Shadow noted as he left his comment open-ended, urging for Black Doom to continue. These were indeed the answers he sought for; there was no chance he would let them slip when he was so close to uncovering them all. Unfortunately, this particular subject was touchy in Black Doom's case. He remained silent at the door, his arms crossed and looking away.

"Is Nyx anything like you?" Shadow repeated, this time forming it into a question. Black Doom did not answer, sparking a small fire of anger in Shadow's heart. "Certainly because she's your mother –"

"I tend not to think of her as my parent as much as I do her as a simple guardian who gave me life and power." Black Doom interrupted, his voice beginning to teem with rage. "I have not seen the others since the day I left to start conquering planets. I wish to keep it that way."

"What happened?"

"You're a persistent one, aren't you?" he growled. "If I don't want to answer, must I, master?"

Ignoring the sarcastic comment, Shadow sighed. "At least tell me what happened to Fate."

"Thrown into prison for treason, mutiny, attempted assassination of a Guardian, and there was one more charge…or perhaps two more…but he was sentenced for life; attempting to kill someone of importance is not liked all too much from where I hail. He was broken out of prison by some of his children he had previously spawned. …Damn, what were those other charges…?" Black Doom trailed off. He waved his hand in defeat. "…Slips my memory. I used to know every single thing he was sentenced for but lately one thing has led to another and I have more important matters to focus on."

"You must have really hated him, then." Shadow commented, pushing for the alien leader to speak again. He almost felt ridiculous for asking Black Doom all these questions, and he could feel the air snapping under heavy pressure. Shadow would never be able to "interview" Black Doom again, much less about his past. How did Amy do it to him? She was charming, for one, which tricked him into letting her inside his head; and he knew for a fact that Black Doom did not see Shadow as even a distant friend.

"I did, and I still do." Black Doom glowered. Shadow dropped his head slightly, feeling his voice sharp with anger. "And I always will. Telling you the watered-down version of my life story does not cover half of it, Shadow, and I can promise that you will never hear anything more of it again."

The cloaked hedgehog made his way towards Shadow, plastering a hand down on his head. "To tell you the truth, I am not happy you slipped up here while I was gone for a few minutes. I certainly hope that your sneaky ways paid off well, hedgehog, because if I ever see them again, you will not last long here."

The black hedgehog opened his mouth to justify his actions, but instead he found himself being pushed unwillingly toward the door. His heels dug into the ground in attempts to slow his move so that he could interject, but his resisting was futile. Shadow went on ahead with speaking.

"The only reason I came up here was to –"

"Find answers, I know." Black Doom interrupted, giving the hedgehog one final shove out the door. He manually shut the door behind him, leaning against it as if to guard the room from impending invasion. "The least you could do was confront me about them. I know you do not trust me very much, but it is common courtesy and as your father and master, I would much prefer you to respect my space. In turn, I will respect yours."

Shadow scowled at the alien leader in disbelief that he would think Shadow would ever talk to him about his questions. Common courtesy meant nothing in the Black Arms, and he knew it full well.

"Leave, Shadow. Go rest for a while, why don't you? Earth is a little too dangerous to be fighting on right now, so we shall wait until tomorrow to start fighting Fate's minions."

It was useless to argue, Shadow admitted. There was nothing he could do except to back down to where he came and relay the information to Amy. Shadow turned, starting off, but his ears twitched as he heard Black Doom's voice once more. The black hedgehog stopped and faced him.

"And as a little advisory, Shadow: what I did to you back then – threatening you, controlling you, all that – is nothing compared to what Fate will do if he gets his hands on you. I'll make you wonder if death is better than me, yes, but Fate will make you beg for it." Black Doom warned darkly, crossing his arms. "Go."

Before walking away, Shadow could see and sense a pang of guilt and pity in Black Doom. He hesitated as he turned, close to question the alien's thoughts or words, but decided not to. Amy was probably anxiously waiting for his return, and he needed to make sure nothing happened to her in the time he was gone.

Shadow's work was, for now, done.


End file.
